


Twin Moons

by hungrywhovianpotterhead



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: A/U, Star Wars: Original Trilogy Era, rebels au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:20:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27596753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hungrywhovianpotterhead/pseuds/hungrywhovianpotterhead
Summary: Obi-Wan never took Luke to Tatooine in fact they overshot the force forsaken dustball completely and instead Luke grew up on the planet Lothal being trained to become a Jedi like his father before him.Ezra Bridger is an orphan loner who only makes an exception to his solitude for one boy. The boy who helped him out when he was seven, and that Ezra always seems to get into trouble.This is the story of two boys and their accidental trip into a rebellion
Relationships: Ezra Bridger/Luke Skywalker, skybridger - Relationship
Comments: 16
Kudos: 96





	1. Prologue, asteroid fields, swamps, and smugglers

In the last forty-eight hours, Obi-Wan's entire life had been upended. Two days ago he was a prestigious general in the Grand Army of the Republic, and now… now the Jedi order was gone. Killed by the men that served them on the battlefield. Anakin was gone, Padme was gone, and he was guardian of the small bundle in his arms.

Add onto that ending up in an asteroid belt that knocked out one of his engines making him have to land on the completely wrong planet. Granted there were worse planets to crash down on than Naboo, but he couldn't stay here. The longer he lingered the more danger he put Luke in. One of the reasons that Luke wasn't being placed with the Naberri family was the fact that this would be the first planet the Emperor would look for Anakin's children if they somehow survived, and an infant boy appearing not even a day after Padme's death, would raise suspicion.

As the ship crashed down, he protected Luke from the impact by wrapping the boy in a bubble of the force, Obi-Wan buried his fighter into the mud of the Naboo Swamp land and made his way towards civilization. He sensed it wasn't far to a small farming village where he could get passage to Theed and then book transport off the planet and towards Tatooine.

He began walking, and about an hour in, the infant in his arms began to cry. Obi-Wan tried to calm the baby, bouncing him, whispering soft promises, nothing worked. Then he felt a nudge in the force. He paused, Luke wasn't even a day old. He had never heard of one so young having the ability to reach out in the force before, he must have imagined it, or there was some other force sensitive on Naboo close by. Then it came again, a soft questioning nudge.

It was unmistakable this time, it came from Luke. His wails grew louder as Obi-Wan avoided making the connection. It wasn't his place, it should be Anakin making connection with his son. It should be Padme that was soothing him. The Jedi felt overwhelmed, quickening his pace. The sooner they get to Theed the sooner they can escape the planet and Luke can be given to his true family.

He paused, were they really his family? Owen and Beru Lars shared no blood with Anakin, from what he could tell they had no connection at all. Schmi might have married Owen's father, but she died years ago. Truly he was closer to being the boy's true family, the only people closer it would be unwise to leave him with. His Naboo family would cause attention to be drawn to him, no he promised Master Yoda.

Luke's wailing grew more fierce, this time the force sent a sharp jab from the infant, making the Jedi Master falter, he was strong, perhaps as strong if not stronger than his father was. This time, as the lights of the village came into view, and he saw a farmer look up at him in curiosity, Obi-Wan answered Luke's request and reached out with the force.

Luke's force signature wrapped tightly around the older jedi's and then the bond opened, and it was like Obi-Wan was being shown a new galaxy of possibilities. A vision washed over him then, him and a small boy with blonde hair and fierce blue eyes, under twin moons Blue sabers lighting up the night. Then it was gone, and he realized, Luke was quiet, his presence in the force calm.

Of course, what else would the force sensitive infant be begging for? A connection in the force was something many jedi took for granted, but this was different. Obi-Wan found himself clinging to the significance of the newly established bond with the boy in his arms, it was filled with trust, hope, and love.

He thought again of the Lars' on Tatooine, and felt his stomach sour at the thought of leaving Luke with them. The boy should be with those who understood him, those who could truly protect him.

He needed to be with a jedi… but wouldn't he be? Obi-Wan obviously would not leave Tatooine and watch over the boy, but Luke still wouldn't be understood by the Lars' and what's to say they would allow him to be part of Luke's life? The little they knew of Anakin, they would probably refuse to let the boy be trained in the ways of the force.

He rubbed his chin with the hand not holding the infant, a defiant thought growing in his mind. Master Yoda would never know, how could he know that Obi-Wan never arrived on the desert planet? What made the force forsaken dustball the best choice? In his arms Luke dozed a firm grip still on Obi-Wan through the force. It was early afternoon, when he walked into the main body of the village which was more a small town, and found a cantina.

By the time the sun was dripping low in the sky he was in a speeder, Luke in his robes to protect from the elements, and Theed was coming ever closer.

Night had taken full hold as they came to the capital city, Obi-Wan used a mind trick to make the man who drove forget about the odd man and the infant he carried. The jedi turned to enter the city and he saw the mourning banners across the city streets. For the first time since crashing in the swamp it struck the jedi, Naboo's golden child had just died, and he was holding one half of what remained of her legacy.

His heart broke a little more, her family was here, Luke's family was here. However as much as they were Luke's family, and this was Padme's home planet, it was also Palpatine's home planet, and the Emperor was bound to notice a force sensitive child, that looked like his apprentice living with the Naberri family.

The space port would be closed this late, so the jedi had no choice. He would have to find a place to stay the night, then he would book passage to Tatooine come morning.

~~~~~~~~

It turned out finding passage off the planet was going to be harder than he thought. He came to the spaceport just as a full battalion of Clones disembarked transports, they would open fire the moment they saw him, and he couldn't risk Luke. So he put up his hood, and wrapped himself in a sheet of force, hoping that the shroud would be enough to keep them from seeing him, it stung, two days ago he would have trusted these men with his life, now he hid, knowing they would kill him.

Finally he reached a point he could breathe, the Clones not yet to this point of the spaceport. He found a pilot, a young human man with dark skin and a honeyed tongue, who promised to get the Jedi Master and his quarry off planet.

"Where are you going to?" The pilot asked.

After a moment Obi-Wan spoke, "I need to get to the planet Tatooine"

The man chuckled, "why would you ever want to take a kid to a planet like that? There are plenty of non Hutt space planets"

"It is somewhere that I can hide, I must impress the utmost importance of discretion in this matter. The new Empire cannot know I am there"

"Not to worry my friend, discretion is my middle name, Lando, Discretion Calrissian"

Obi-Wan nodded, not sure he could trust the man, but knowing he had few choices. "I will make it well worth your trouble I assure you, when do we leave?"

Lando grinned, "I'll meet you at the Falcon in an hour, then it's off to Tatooine"

As though sensing their soon to be separation, Luke began to cry, his little hands wrapping into the Jedi Master's hidden robes. Obi-Wan sighed, holding the child closer, and sending in the force a promise to never truly leave the boy. Luke continued to cry. And the jedi saw a few faces turn his way. He gathered up his resolve, and walked out of the small restaurant where he had met the pilot.

He wondered idly, what if he never went to Tatooine? Luke seemed upset by the notion, and truly the reasoning behind sending Luke there was flimsy, did he trust that if Anakin had somehow survived he wouldn't return to Tatooine, that he wouldn't be driven by hate to return there and take revenge on the family that took his mother?

Did they really trust that Palpatine wouldn't know about the Lars family and have them killed being one of the few links to the light Anakin still had, the place he buried his mother?

Truly was Tatooine safe? Was anywhere? Even if he could be there to protect the boy, he couldn't watch him and from afar at all times, it was better he be close to the boy.

He pondered it for the remainder of his time, and finally came to his decision. He sent a silent apology to the force and Yoda, as he told the pilot he wanted to go to the remote planet of Lothal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Authors Note!!!!!

This is my first time writing Star Wars FF I just hope I do the characters justice as I get into writing them any feedback is greatly appreciated


	2. Chapter 1 A growing young Jedi and a proper introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke Growing up with his uncle Ben Kenobi on Lothal, and meeting a hungry little boy who just wants some jogan fruit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the response on last chapter. I hope you guys all like this one. I've been working really hard on this story, and I am falling more in love with it with each page I write I hope you all enjoy reading this as I have writing it let me know. Reviews feed the hungry whovian

Lothal wasn’t an unpleasant planet, but from the start one thing was clear to Obi-Wan, it wouldn’t be somewhere they could stay forever. The one blessing of the place was the abundant amount of untouched countryside. It was in this countryside, a fair distance from Capital City, that he purchased a small hut that he and Luke could live in. 

Luke… Luke was everything he believed Padme would have hoped for. His blonde curls and bright blue eyes were a spitting image of Anakin, and Obi-Wan would have been lying if he said that it didn’t send a pang of grief through his heart. Then there was raising the boy. Sure he had practically raised the child’s father, but that was from the age of nine on, he wasn’t unfamiliar with the needs of an infant, he had taken time in the Temple to assist Master Yoda with caring for the younglings that was not to say he was particularly good at it however. 

Exactly how bad he was at caring for younglings became clear when Luke began crawling, and he realized how hazardous everything was, that was also when the old jedi had stopped carrying his saber with him in the house. These things truly come into focus, when a nine month old, trying to pull himself up your leg accidentally activates your lightsaber nearly losing his toes. No no he wasn’t very good at this. 

When Luke was two, he began to train the boy. Luke was a natural, already he was able to call a toy from across the room, or even hold full conversations with his “uncle” through the force. Obi-Wan thought that better. He was Luke’s uncle, had loved his father like a brother. So he became Uncle Ben. The first thing that Ben needed to teach him, was something not commonly taught in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, shielding. It was something Masters taught padawans before taking them on risky missions, but now it had begun to be a necessity of life. 

He had seen the propaganda being streamed on the holonet, had seen Vader, a ghastly specter in all black, flanked by his enforcers. The inquisitors, force sensitive beings whose only driving goal was to hunt down the last of the “treasonous jedi” Vader’s robotically deep voice had informed the galaxy. He and his inquisitors would not rest until the galaxy was safe from the Jedi at last. It was horrifying, each one wore a mask but one, a tall man that Ben knew well. He had been a kind man, a guardian of the temple one he had spoken with often. He didn’t know his name, but his sorrow at seeing what he had become was great. The others were likely fallen Jedi as well, he didn’t want to know who else might be behind those masks, it was bad enough the force screamed at him who was behind the mask of Vader. The flashing lights on the front, others would assume were a control panel, likely thinking the man was no more than a machine, but Ben knew could hear the labored breathing of a man who would die without that mask. He did that. 

Luke stirred in his arms, the toddler having fallen asleep while they watched Holo-programs for children. A stab of guilt went through him. He had cursed this child’s father to a fate worse than death by leaving him on the shores of Mustafar.   
“I’m sorry Anakin, I failed you. I failed you” he looked down at Luke, “but I won’t fail him. I promise now I will not make the same mistakes with your son that I made with you”

Attachments were forbidden in the Jedi order, yet, despite trying his hardest to keep to the code, when he felt the love of attachment to his padawan, and even his grand padawan Ahsoka, he never saw what harm could come of it. He did however see the other side of it. Luminara... her padawan Barris, he had seen the hands off way she handled the girl, and in the end it led to her destroying the lives of not only those injured or killed in the blast, but Ahsoka and Anakin as well. He knew that the way the Council had ruled at that time had been one of the final blows to Anakin’s trust in them. That was the action that had lost him his padawan, it was why he didn’t go to the council for help when things got bad. 

Luke wouldn’t have an easy time being raised in the ways of the force, but Ben knew he had little choice in the matter. The boy must learn to protect himself, especially if Yoda was right, and this boy and his sister were the last hopes of the galaxy. 

The third year came and went quickly, and Ben crafted Luke his first practice Saber, really it was a wooden rod, since they didn’t have access to the Kyber needed to make a real practice saber, and began teaching the boy his forms. They did it by moonlight outside, as the hut was too small and doing it during the day would draw too much attention. 

He taught the boy his basic Katas, he began with form one, and realized how difficult it would be to teach a three year old child the patience needed to learn saber forms. Instead the Jedi Master made a game of it. 

It took months of their “game” Luke called it clack. Ben and Luke would each take a training saber, and they would clack them together, the goal was to break through and touch the other, and to avoid the “clack” of the sabers. Soon, he noticed Luke picking up some of his forms, as he had been careful to feed the basic stances of Shii cho into the game, and by the time his fourth birthday came Luke had learned all of the Kata’s of form one. It was then that Ben told him. Taught him that the game they played was really training to use a lightsaber. That was the first time he showed the boy his father’s saber. That was also the night that Ben told Luke a story. 

He told a story of a young queen from Naboo, and a brave slave boy from Tatooine. He told the boy the story of an army of brothers, who became like family a young woman who became their sister, and for now, he left out all the heartache that went with it, let the little one live with the happy memories of the family who would have loved him. 

By the time Luke was five, he was a natural of form one and had easily began to learn form two, it wouldn’t be long before he moved into form three Soresu, which Ben was looking forward to, his own mastery of the form making it the one easiest for him to teach. It was also when Ben began teaching Luke the way to find peace inside of the force. 

Meditation had always been Anakin’s worst skill, the boy had always had a nervousness about him, that caused him to seek out alternative methods. Luke however seemed to have Padme’s patience, as he found it easy to dive into the force. Ben barely had to guide him. 

He guided the boy with recitation of the Jedi code. 

“There is no emotion, There is peace” Luke took a breath, “take all of your emotions, and release them, Luke” 

“There is no ignorance, there is knowledge” Ben closed his eyes taking hold of Luke in the force and guiding him, “release your questioning mind to the force, allow it to answer you” 

“There is no passion, there is serenity” The force flowed through him, “release your control, allow the force to guide you” 

“There is no chaos, there is harmony” he felt Luke relax, allowing the force to take him deeper, “in the force all is equal, feel it there balanced before you” 

“There is no death, there is only the force” Luke let out a breath, and Ben felt it too, a gentle sigh in the force, he could almost see the hands of Padme reach out and wrap around Luke. it shouldn’t be possible, non force sensitive people shouldn’t have a presence as such, even jedi do not keep their own energy when they die, yet there was no denying Padme’s presence, just for a moment then she was gone. 

That wasn’t to be the last time he felt Padme in the force, the senator appearing that night as he did his own meditation 

“Hello Master Jedi” came the soft voice of his friend. 

“Padme, how is this possible? You were not sensitive to the force, yet I felt you with Luke and can tell you are real now” 

Padme simply smiled and sat beside him, his meditation scape the room of a thousand fountains, “I’ve never known the great Obi-Wan Kenobi to question the force” she chuckled. “I suppose you could say I’m not truly here, but part of me is. It’s hard to explain, like a piece of me stayed behind when I died, I just remember being so scared, so cold. I reached out and someone answered, and it was like I split then. A part of me, the part speaking to you now, went with Luke, I suppose as some sort of guardian. The other with Leia”

Ben rubbed at his beard, “it is somewhat of an unknown what really happens when we die. Master Yoda says we rejoin the force, yet nobody has ever spoken with someone who is dead before” 

“Now you have, I wanted to say something to you” Padme began, “Thank you, thank you for taking care of my son” 

Ben didn’t know what to say, instead he just smiled, and nodded. 

He came out of his meditation then, feeling lighter than he had for five years, confident in the fact that at least one of Luke’s parents was proud of what he was doing for their child. It was good that he came out of meditation when he did, as a sleepy Luke walked into the doorway, rubbing his eyes. 

“Ben, I had a bad dream” 

Ben smiled and opened his arms, “come here Luke, tell me about it” 

~~~~~~~~~  
Luke Skywalker knew he several things fir certain. One he had no parents, Ben told him they were heroes, his father a Jedi knight. Two nobody could ever know he was a jedi, Ben hid from him the worst of it, but he was aware that they were hunted. Three Ben Kenobi was the best father figure he could have asked for. Those of course were the obvious things, he knew he was loved. He knew he was safe, but he couldn’t help but be lonely. Sure he had Ben, and he enjoyed training to become a Jedi like Ben and his father were before the purge, but Ben was the only person he knew. He was seven years old, and he had no friends. He had tried talking to the person from the dormant tether in his mind, but they didn’t seem to like him, or they didn’t know how to talk to him more likely. Ben wasn’t very willing to tell the seven year old Luke why he had a quiet tether in his mind or why it was clearly a little girl his age, maybe Ben would tell him when he got older. 

Until then, he helped Ben run the little garden behind their hut, and trained his saber katas behind the fence Ben built last summer. 

Today he was doing his katas while Ben went up on the bluff to trade with one of the traveling farmers for some of the things they didn’t grow, that he heard the hum in the force. It was odd, sounding almost like the hum that came when Ben lowered his shields to teach Luke a new skill, but different. It wasn’t a very strong hum, and he didn’t think whoever had it had been trained at all. At least not by someone like Ben, his shielding was awful! At least he assumed it was a boy, as he hooked his father’s saber back to his waist and climbed up the fence to look over. 

Huddled behind a boulder nearby, was a boy around Luke’s age, with black shaggy hair, and a dirty old orange jumpsuit. He was eyeing Ben’s Jogan tree hungrily. Luke dropped down and snuck around to the gate of the fence, and opened it. Continuing to move quietly, he moved so he was behind the same boulder as the boy. 

“Are you hungry?” Luke asked.

The boy shot up into the air with a loud scream, that made Luke giggle, and hold out the tart he had brought out for a snack after his training.

“Here, it’s a jogan fruit tart, it will be better than a raw one off of my uncle’s tree” for a moment Luke wondered if the boy spoke basic, and started to try and think of other ways he may word it, he didn’t know many languages yet, it was one of the few things that Ben had any trouble teaching him. 

“Wait, you’re just giving it to me?” oh good, he did speak basic, less struggle for him then.

Luke nodded, “Yes, Ben always says when people are hungry you should help them… so are you hungry?” 

The boy nodded enthusiastically and wolfed down the tart. Luke was shocked how quickly the sweet treat disappeared. Then the boy grinned at him when it was gone “you’re right, that was really good”

Luke grinned back “I’m glad, my name is Luke Skywalker by the way” 

The other boy held out his hand, “Nice to meet you Luke Skywalker, my name’s Ezra Bridger” 

Luke shook his hand, he had a good feeling about Ezra Bridger, and when he reached out to the force, it seemed to have a good feeling about him too.


	3. Chapter 2: The Adventure of a lifetime begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Star destroyer looms over Lothal, an old Jedi is filled with dread, but a young boy gets a thrill and drive for adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so I needed to be cheered up. Found out my family has Covid just in time for the Holidays, and I just finished watching the Wrong Jedi arc in Clone Wars and I can't stop crying, so here's an early chapter for you guys because these two are getting ready to go on an adventure

"Luke!" Ben called, as the small blond boy dashed out of the little hut he had lived in for the last 14 years of his life, angry tears rolling down his cheeks. 

Ben knew the boy would be headstrong, and wouldn't want listen when his uncle told him that they would be leaving Lothal. He had put it off longer than he should have, the imperial presence on the planet was growing too strong. 

The flash of anger was something he would have expected from his father, but Luke had always been mild mannered, a shocking contrast to the wild and temperamental boy his father had been. 

He sighed, he knew, knew Luke would return, he was probably off to see the other boy. The one that Ben would almost have expected Luke to be. Ezra Bridger certainly had the arrogance that had been so characteristic of Anakin Skywalker, and it worried the old jedi with how close he had grown to his young charge. 

\---------

Luke swiped the tears from his face as Ezra's tower came into view, and as always, he could see the dark haired boy lounging on the hillock leading to his "home" he never told Ben that Ezra didn't have parents, but that was what made him and Ezra so much alike. It was their secret two orphans who looked out for one another.

"Skywalker!" The boy waved, and Luke started running again. He knew the moment Ezra saw his face, because the wide grin turned into a furrowed brow, "what's wrong?"

Luke plopped into the long grass beside his friend, "Ben says we have to leave"

"You mean like move to a city?"

Blond hair spun with the force of Luke's head shake making a glittering halo, that momentarily distracted Ezra from what Luke was saying, "-my entire life is on Lothal and he just wants to leave!"

Ezra bolted upright then. Leave?! Luke leave Lothal? Leave him? Ezra wouldn't let grumpy old Ben Kenobi take his best friend from him. "You can't leave" Ezra said simply, "I won't let you starting now, you live with me Luke Skywalker"

Luke paused, "I can't live with you Ezra, Ben would be furious"

"What about you though? He didn't even ask you! Just waltzed in and told you to pack your bags!" Ezra looked more upset than even Luke had been to hear the news. It struck him that everyone else had left him, he didn't want Luke to leave him too. 

Luke sighed, picking at the grass, "I don't get a choice, I'm just a kid" 

Ezra growled, "that shouldn't matter, I'm two days older than you, and I make choices just fine on my own"

Luke was quiet, and Ezra almost got up and walked inside when a soft voice stopped him, "you could come with us, I'm sure Ben would let you"

He looked over at his friend, whose wide blue eyes were pleading, and sighed, "I don't think he would" he then got up and walked into his tower. Ezra didn't even look to see if Luke followed, he knew the blond was right behind him, they had reached the top and were looking out over the grasslands when the shadow crossed overhead. A large shadow that completely blocked out the sun. 

Luke looked up and a sense of dread filled him, even as Ezra grinned and ran inside. Something told him he wouldn't be leaving Lothal with Ben

\------

Ben paced the length of the small hut, reaching out every so often to sense if Luke was safe, content to find him close enough that he could make out more than just a vague sense, and that was with the boys shielding. A skill that was more important now than it ever had been before the order fell. 

He couldn't ignore the sense of warning he received in the force, something was coming, and he didn't want Luke on this planet when it did. Especially since part of the warning was an ice cold shadow of someone he once knew better than he knew himself.

Ben stepped outside, and looked to the sky, the cold feeling of the dark side washing over him, as an Imperial Star Destroyer blocked out the sun. 

It was too late, he had come. 

\----- 

Four speeders, six crates, like stealing candy from a baby. They had been planning this heist for days, and finally it was here. 

Kanan Jarrus walked through the market, taking notice of each crew member in position. They all knew the method and the call sign. A simple double tap to his hip and Sabine and Zeb would mobilize. They had done it a hundred times at least, but something felt off, an instinct that he hadn't used in more than ten years.

There were two presences he could feel, one was a low simmering in the force, while the other was a miniature sun. 

He looked around him, trying to spot where it was coming from but couldn't find any sign of anyone around him. Kanan shook his head. He couldn't afford to get distracted now. 

~~~~~~~~~

One thing Luke always loved was the way the wind whipped when he was riding on a speeder, with it he could almost forget why he was here with Ezra instead of home training with Ben like he usually was at this time of day. Almost, but the thought of leaving the only home he had was not a fond one, nor was it easy to shake. 

Lost in thought he almost missed as they approached Capital City. Ezra shot him a sly grin, and Luke inwardly groaned as Ezra spun the speeder out skidding to a stop behind a large rock formation. 

Luke groaned climbing off the back of the speeder bike noticing they literally had inches between them and the rock face. "One of these times your recklessness is going to have us splattered" he pointed out. 

Ezra simply grinned, "and you love it, Skywalker. now come on. I wanna see why a Star Destroyer came to Lothal, they probably got a new kind of trooper helmet i don't have yet"

"You know, Ben says that you're gonna get yourself in big trouble if you keep taunting the Empire"

Ezra's eyes rolled, "who cares what Ben thinks" he then promptly took off into the city. 

Luke sighed, and then took off after his friend, knowing he would get into way more trouble without him than with. 

It wasn't far into the city that Luke's theory was proven, before he got to Ezra he was walking between two imperial officers and he saw him snag the comm of one of their belts, he wandered away, and Luke quietly made his way around the officers and darted off after Ezra. 

He found him as he began calling a false alarm over the comm. He gave Ezra a stern look as the other boy smirked informing the Empire he had a code red emergency. 

Ezra grabbed his hand and dragged him back to where the jogan seller was trying to scrabble about to pick up his fruit. Ezra knelt to help him clean up the fruit, and then began stuffing his bag. Luke protested, but Ezra just winked at him and took off, leaping up onto a stall and to the roof. 

Luke scowled and helped the man clean up his fruit, before reaching into his pocket and dropping a small stack of credits into the jogan seller's hand "sorry about him" he said gently before getting up and following Ezra. 

The man with the jogans looked down at the credits, well above what the fruit the first boy took was worth and wondered out loud, "who were those boys?"

"You didn't have to steal those" Luke began, but Ezra held up his hand to silence him and waved him over. Ezra had a mischievous glint in his eye as look crouched beside him. 

"I didn't steal them, you bought them" Ezra held out a jogan "want one?" 

Luke rolled his eyes and took the fruit, "someday I won't be there to save you, you know."

Ezra smirked, "don't be so sure" then he looked down at the imperials arguing below about a false alarm, "almost feel bad for them...almost."

Luke was about to make a retort when he felt it. A soft humming in the force, one he always felt around Ezra and around Ben when he wasn't shielding, a force user… he looked at Ezra and saw the other boy tense up. 

Ezra turned at the same moment Luke did, Luke saw him first, a tall man with a ponytail. The force surrounded the man like a cloak, and he was turning around! Luke grabbed Ezra and pulled him flat to the rooftop, before the man could see them. 

"Do you hear that?" Ezra asked, then he noticed the grim set of Luke's mouth, "Luke?"

"Yeah, I hear it… Ez… I don't think we should be here" Luke could already hear Ben revving up one of his lectures.

Of course Ezra was already on to his next thing watching the man with the force cloak move around seeming to rally other people for something. 

Luke groaned, "Ezra, we need to go" he pulled on his friend.

Ezra patted his arm, "in a minute, something cool is going to happen, I feel it"

Luke continued to pull, "or maybe something bad!" No sooner than he said it that an explosion knocked the blonde boy back making him lose his grip on Ezra. 

He looked up in time to see Ezra grin and offer him his hand, "ready for an adventure, Skywalker?"

Luke again was faced with the question, how much trouble was he willing to be in? Then he looked up at the other boy, he would likely do whatever he was planning either way. At least Luke knew he could keep them out of too deep of trouble in most cases. Then there was the look he was getting from his friend, Ezra's eyes were pleading and despite his better judgment and Ben's teaching, Luke took Ezra's hand and together they took off along the rooftops.

As they came to the edge of a roof and saw the three speeders hauling crates from earlier, Luke knew there was no turning back, as Ezra turned to him, and with a grin said, "this is where the fun begins"

Luke tightened his belt, careful to keep his father's saber hidden under his shirt as he nodded, "okay, but this time? I'm driving"

~~~~

From the bridge of the Star Destroyer, a dark figure stood vigil, still not sure of his mission. There was an old jedi temple on this planet, that as of yet they still hadn't found. It was hardly something warranting his attention, he would have gladly delegated it had the order not from the Emperor himself. 

His loud breathing was the only sound made as he looked down on Lothal, this was a waste of his time, but then he felt it, a bright flare in the force from the planet's surface stronger than any he had felt since the Clone War. The flare brought with it a familiarity that shocked him, bringing to his mind a ghost of another life, of a woman with curling dark hair and gentle eyes. 

"Padme" he breathed softly, low enough his voice modulator did not pick it up, a single tear rolling down his cheek being instantly sucked away by the systems of his suit. It wasn't possible. Padme had died, Palpatine had promised that his child had died, this force flare likely just mimicked her in the force, because as he reached out to the familiar shape of her force signature there were marked differences. 

No not Padme, this was younger, and much more powerful in the force, and there was something else, something he couldn't put his finger on.

"Lord Vader!"

He was pulled from pondering the new force presence by his commander's voice, "we are making our final descent to the planet's surface"

"Very good commander, prepare my shuttle" 

"Very well, My Lord"

With that Darth Vader turned and walked off the bridge. He would find the source of that presence he swore on everything he still cared about. He would find it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so that happened, and also expect Vader to have a larger part in this story, because well... it's Vader and Luke is involved and he sensed something there


	4. Chapter 3 High Speed Chase and questionable choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where the Fun begins. On a speeder bike chased by Imperials and these really persistent thieves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second chapter this week. I am really having fun writing this, and am loving the way that Luke is blending with the Rebels characters. Anyway the first few chapters here will follow fairly close to the first two episodes of Rebels, but we'll get a lot more original adventure soon I promise also expect to see cover art for this fic coming soon! art will of course be courtesy of the wonderful Sunflova on Tumblr if you haven't seen their work I definitely recommend

It turned out, where the fun begins, is doing a large flip off of a roof onto an Imperial speeder bike and nearly getting his head taken off by a giant purple beast with a gun. Luke praised his fast reflexes honed by years of training in the jedi ways with Ben. Luke nearly yelped as a sudden weight dropped onto the back of his bike, before he felt Ezra's presence mingle with his from one of the crates attached to the back of the bike. 

Luke hit the throttle and launched them forward, Ezra yelping as he suddenly needed to find solid purchase against the smooth top of one of the crates. Luke laughed, "hold on Ez" he whipped the speeder around the corner.

Ezra almost flew off the crate, but held tight, scrambling to get his feet and knees braced so as to not fall again, just as a woman in a mandalorian helmet dropped from the sky landing on the other crate. 

"You boys got guts" she said, and Luke could hear the smirk in her voice 

Luke looked back and felt his stomach drop as she pulled a gun and pointed it at him, "if the big guy catches you, he'll end you" she then shot the connection between the crates and slid off with a salute "good luck!"

When they were clear, Ezra climbed up and wrapped his arms around Luke's waist. With his friend now more secure, Luke leaned forward and sped deeper into the city. 

They skidded around a corner, and Luke saw four Stormtroopers posted up, when blaster bolts flew past his head, "duck!" Luke yelled as he spun the speeder up a wall and over the heads of the troopers, who one by one fell because of blaster bolts behind him. 

Luke spared a look back seeing the purple guy, and the human with the force cloak blasters pulled chasing them. 

"Who the kriff are these people?" He asked Ezra, "what the hell have you gotten us into?"

Ezra grinned, "hey, you stole the speeder, you got us into this"

Luke ducked as they passed under a low clothes line, "your idea though! Hold on!" Luke sped up, angling towards a pile of garbage, he could see the speedlanes on the other side

Ezra screamed as they launched into the air, Luke let out a loud whoop as they hit the road, a flash of sparks, and a cacophony of horns then they were off again. 

A shower of blaster fire flew by them, Luke swerving missing practically every bolt by a miracle, one impacted with the right engine. Their speeder ground against the pavement, as Luke wrestled with the steering controls, if they got caught now they would be in so much trouble and not from Ben. With quick thinking He pulled up, angling the speeder for another jump over the median, and they were airborne.

"I'm letting you drive more often!" Ezra cheered. The speeder landed roughly, but it seemed the impact had the desired effect, knocking the engine back into shape. 

They definitely lost speed, but it seemed like their pursuers were distracting the Empire, giving Luke the chance to run through damages they would certainly be able to get back to Ezra's tower but from there this speeder was not doing great. 

"We're not out of it yet!" Luke shouted to be heard over the roar of the wind, an explosion shook the air around them, Luke took his chance, pushing forward, making the speeder give it her all.

"Luke, we got company!" Ezra shouted, as the force sensitive man shot over the median, sending sparks back at them. 

"I see him" Luke cursed suddenly as the man put his foot down the speeder turning sideways effectively cutting off escape, there wasn't enough room nor was the speeder solid enough for another median jump. He slammed the brakes, the two boys coming to a full stop inches from where the man stood.

"Who are you?" Ezra asked, surprise, and irritation in his voice. 

The man smirked, and looked between the boys, "I'm the guy who is stealing that crate"

"Hey, we stole this stuff fair and square!" Ezra argued.

"And you two made it pretty far, impressive flying really, but today isn't your day" 

Behind the man Luke spotted the tie, and looked between Ezra and the man "Ez…" Luke started

Ezra saw it eyes widening, "days not over, punch it"

Luke hit the clutch, the bike sped forward, and out of the way seconds before the bike behind them that the man ditched exploded in a ball of flames.

"Next time I decide what we're doing" Luke griped, as Ezra called back a farewell to the man who had failed to catch them.

He heard the tie fighter make another pass coming their way, as he reached the end of the speedlane and they were into open grassland. 

Blaster fire shot over their heads, barely missing them, "whatever is in these crates must be worth it" a tinge of excitement in Ezra's voice.

"It better be worth it!" Luke shouted, just as their luck ran out. The bolt hit their already damaged engine and it was enough, the speeder exploded, the nose jammed in the ground and both boys went flying. Luke threw out a hand, the force creating a cushion for his fall, he threw out his other hand and found Ezra,catching the other boy before he could crash painfully into the ground. 

Even with cushioning his fall, Luke hit the ground hard, and he felt Ben's panicked jab in the force. 

"Luke, are you alright?" Came the frantic voice of his uncle in the force.

"I'm okay"

It wasn't a total lie, but Ben wouldn't know that, he could sense that Ben didn't believe him, and also that the older man was certainly going to be there soon. Luke scrambled to his feet seeing Ezra do the same. 

They both heard the tie fighter close in and prepared for the worst, but it never came in fact the fighter exploded before it reached them.

"You two want a ride?" It was the guy from earlier standing on the docking ramp of a ship. 

Luke almost said no, before he saw four tie fighters coming from the city

"You got a better choice?"

He did, but Ben warned him against using his saber where the Empire could see it, and Ezra wouldn't be safe, so he nodded, and waved to Ezra to follow and lept. 

Ezra however ran over to the crate to try and bring it with. 

"Leave it!" Luke and the stranger yelled at the same time.

Ezra didn't listen, angling the crate and leaping into the air, the crate slammed into the ramp, Ezra dangling helplessly from it. Luke grasped his arm and pulled him up both boys tumbling to the floor.

"Reckless idiot" Luke grumbled as they climbed up from the floor just for Luke to punch Ezra in the shoulder. "Don't do stupid things"

Ezra chuckled, "no promises-whoa" he stepped past Luke, and then Luke saw what they stole. 

"Guns?" He frowned, not worth it.

Ezra apparently thought otherwise, "do you have any idea what these are worth on the black market?"

The human male rolled his eyes, "I do actually"

"You're smugglers" Luke observed, earning a raised eyebrow from the man. 

"Hey, that's mine! We found them first!"

Luke groaned, "that's not how this work Ez"

The purple beast smirked, "listen to your pal, looks like he's the brains"

The human stepped up and placed hands between Ezra and the beast, "it's not who's first, it's who's last"

He cast a glance at Ezra, then Luke, before turning to the others, "keep an eye on these two will ya?"

Ezra looked like he was going to complain, when Luke gave him a pointed look, a feeling of concern growing as he felt his ever present connection to Ben slowly dim the farther away they got. "Ez, it's not the time" 

He could feel Ben's panic in his mind, as his uncle surely felt the same strain on their bond as Luke. Despite himself the blonde boy sat against a wall and hugged his knees. He had messed up bad, who was to say these people were going to take them back. What if they were smugglers from Hutt space, Ben had told him horror stories about the Hutts. Tears pricked at his eyes but he pushed them back stubbornly. 

He was pulled from his thoughts, hearing Ezra and the big guy shouting at one another. 

"Hey, you okay kid?" 

Luke looked up and saw the girl in mandalorian armor sitting on a crate looking at him, her mask off. She was pretty, her hair as colorful as her armor, she was young, maybe a year or two older than him. He shrugged. 

She hopped down, her helmet under her arm, "it's going to be okay you know. Trusting people isn't easy, but these are good ones, you worried about your parents?"

Luke bit his lip. "No, I'm not worried about my parents" the ship shook then, a startling reminder they were still being chased by imperials. Why didn't he listen to Ben?

"Get off of me! I can't breathe!" Before he knew what was happening, Luke leapt forward pulling the large purple creature away from his friend. 

"Relax, I'm not that heavy in this gravity"

He had to admit he wasn't wrong, Luke had found it almost easy to pull the man off of Ezra, who had that look on his face that made Luke want to groan.

"Not the weight," he waved a hand in front of his face "the smell"

Next thing Luke saw was Ezra being dragged by the leg deeper into the ship. "Ezra!"

"Luke help! He's gonna kill me!" 

Luke started to go after them when a slim fingered hand wrapped around his wrist, "don't worry, Zeb won't hurt him, probably just putting him in a supply closet to cool off"

He looked back to the mandalorian girl "I'm Sabine, by the way"

"He's really not going to hurt him right?" Luke was at his nerves end with this day without being abducted by smugglers and having his best friend killed by the thing he now knew was named Zeb.

Sabine gave him a kind look, "Zeb is mostly bark not a lot of bite, seems like your buddy Ezra is the same"

Luke still tense stopped trying to pull away, Sabine looked relieved. The boy's thoughts were a mess, where were they going? How many hours of meditation was Ben going to make him do when they got back, would they ever get back?

"Hey, breathe" he snapped back to reality, "you look like you're going to pass out. You said something about your parents, I bet they're worried about you"

Luke took a steadying breath before he shook his head, "they aren't… I should go find Ezra"

"Kid he's fine and you're having a meltdown, I see it starting"

"I'm fine!" He snapped, "let me go find my friend" he swept his hair back from his face, "and stop asking about my parents! They're dead okay! They died in the Clone Wars! So no I'm not worried about them and they're not worried about me! I just want to go home, but I'm stuck in here being chased by the Empire and the only person I know just got drug off to who knows where! Just let me find Ezra!" 

"Sabine, Zeb, where's the other kid?" The guy who seemed to be in charge asked over the intercom. 

"Relax chief, he's right… in here?" Zeb's voice responded "he's still in the ship"

In the next moment The man in charge slid down the ladder next to them. "Sabine, I need you on a turret. We'll find the kid after we shake these fighters. Kid come with me, not losing track of another one of you"

Luke was about to argue, when the taller man grabbed him by the arm and hauled him down the hall.

They came out in one of the turrets, the man climbed into the seat, and started firing, but all Luke could see was the black expanse of stars. 

"I'm calculating the jump to hyperspace, but I need you to buy me some time!" Declared a female voice over the intercom.

Luke was in frightened awe. He was in space.

"I finished the calculations, I need an opening!" The unknown woman ordered.

"Found one!" Sabine responded. 

“Entering hyperspace!” the captain responded

Luke looked out at the stars as they seemed to speed up into a shower of blue, he didn't even notice the older man looking down at him with a smirk.

"Ben is so going to kill me," Luke whispered.


	5. Chapter 4 Only in the force can you find them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Ezra are in space, and that leaves a confused and worried Ben back on Lothal, while the sinister forces of the Empire led by Sith Lord Darth Vader begin to devise a plot to deal with a possible rising rebel threat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeyyyyyyy so I know I'm a little late here, I meant to post my chapter long before now, but it's better late than never right? also this story now has cover art thanks to the amazingly talented Sunflova on Tumblr!

He took it all back, when he said Luke was more like his mother he took it back, as he looked through the wreckage that was a speeder bike and tie fighter he admitted it. He raised another Anakin. Yet another Skywalker with a reckless streak that caused chaos wherever he went. This level of Reckless he hadn't seen in fifteen years!

He knew Luke was alive, despite his initial panic, he could still feel the steady if dull connection between them, and had felt the fear when Luke noticed he was starting to lose his sense of his mentor in the force.

More concerning was still the cold weight that had settled over Lothal, only that coldness made him glad Luke was not on this planet right now, a shadow had come to land on this planet, and it was better that Luke not encounter it.

Feeling this darkness was like being pushed back in time, the worst night of his life. He was suddenly facing Anakin on Mustafar. He didn't know what brought him here, but Vader was on Lothal, and Ben was prepared for the worst.

Although preferably he would avoid his former apprentice completely, and find a ship to follow Luke off the planet. He knew the boy was frightened, could feel it in their bond. He sent a wordless reassurance through the force, and only hoped Luke would receive it.

~~~~~~~

Anger burned through him, a red hot flame cutting through everything. The first thing he gets told upon landing is of incompetence. An entire shipment of arms lost to, as the reports and security footage said, two smugglers and children. He watched again the footage showed two young boys jumping a median on a stolen speeder. His eyes were drawn again to the boy driving a halo of golden hair, and a stern set to his mouth. There was something deeply familiar about the boy, but he couldn't place it.

"Get me agent Kallus" He ordered, then after a moment of thought, "and bring me the sorry excuse of a commander that claims to be in charge of this battalion"

"Yes sir!" The trooper by the door saluted, and marched through the door.

Stormtroopers, he sneered at the thought, he missed the Clones, he never had mishaps like this when he commanded the 501st. The Clones would have deftly handled the thieves, and he wouldn't have to get ISB involved. However the Clones were made dispensable, their advanced aging process taking its toll, and they were all but broken down shells now. They kept a few on to train legions of troopers, but otherwise they were dead or AWOL. One of these was his once Captain and Friend CT7567 Rex. He was disappointed when he heard that Rex's ship went down.

To this day he still got the pang in his chest about the reality of that day. Ahsoka… Rex wasn't the only friend he lost then.

" _Good luck_ " the last words spoken between them, he would never forget the pain of finding her saber in the wreckage of that venator, knowing that he inadvertently caused her demise.

He clenched his fist, what was wrong with him? Why was he being haunted by the past of Anakin Skywalker after all these years, it was like something on this planet was pulling all of the things that he had buried to the surface. It all began with that presence, like a light in the darkness so much like Padmè it hurt.

"My lord" the voice pulled the sith lord from his thoughts.

He turned to face the men who entered, "Agent Kallus, Commander Arescko. It has been brought to my attention that the afternoon's fiasco, was in fact not the first of such disturbances to happen under your watchful eye, and yet these thieves, remain unapprehended"

Arescko swallowed, visibly uncomfortable with facing Vader. "My Lord, these brigands knew our protocol, and were waiting in position"

Vader folded his arms, "so it was your protocol to have a secured imperial comm unit stolen? Or was it your protocol that caused several casualties, and the loss of thousands of credits worth of stolen firepower? The fact is Commander, if you had been diligent in your duties these brigands would not have had the chance to ambush your troops. Reports across Lothal have spoken of this crew, and yet you did nothing to prepare your men for the inevitable attack"

The commander shook, trying to remain calm. He knew of Vader's reputation, and what usually happened to those who dissatisfied him. "I assure you my lord-"his words cut off sharply into choking gasps.

"I will not abide incompetence commander"

Kallus shifted uncomfortably as the commander's choked breathing faded, and Vader dropped the man to the ground. Kallus did not check if the man was still alive, he was certain that Vader would not have released him if that was the case.

"Agent Kallus, do you know what these attacks suggest?"

"Yes My Lord. The Imperial security bureau pays attention to patterns, and this is shaping to form a spark of rebellion" he stood at attention, not wavering under the gaze of Darth Vader, "I assure you, since being deployed here, I have made preparations for the next strike these would be rebels make. I have set up a trap for them. We will crush this spark of rebellion"

"See that you do" Vader replied tersely, "and when you do, the boy on those tapes, bring him to me alive. There is something familiar about him"

Kallus saluted and walked out.

~~~~~~~

Space… they were in space, force knows how far away from Lothal, Luke could barely sense Ben in his mind, and it unnerved him. Ben was the constant in his life. Since as long as he remembered it was him and Ben. Going to the market, meditation training together, exploring the mountains of Lothal, training with his saber, each time Ben was there. His absence was like a cold dark spot in his mind. After watching the hyperspace jump, the man, who finally introduced himself as Kanan, had taken him to the cockpit where he met the pilot, Hera.

He had to admit, he admired Hera's courage, facing down the Empire in an old freighter, and he was set slightly at ease when the Twilek told him they would be returning to Lothal as soon as she could calculate the next jump.

"Let me go! You can't keep me here, take us back to Lothal!" Ezra bellowed as Zeb hauled him into the cockpit.

Luke looked back to his friend and saw the noted relief the other boy showed.

"Relax, that's exactly what we're doing" Hera's voice held an edge of humor.

Ezra looked panicked, "wait, now? With the Empire chasing us?"

Luke spoke up then, "it's okay Ez, she lost the fighters" he looked up at Hera, "she's an amazing pilot"

The woman seemed pleased with his praise, "like the kid said, we lost the fighters when we jumped and the ghost can scramble its signature so they can't track us when we return"

"Oh, that's pretty cool" Ezra looked stunned, but like always shook it off, and smirked, "alright, so just drop me, Luke and our blasters off outside of capital city"

The door slid open, Kanan and Sabine walking in

"They're not your blasters" Sabine stated, brushing past Ezra, shooting Luke a quick smile.

"And we're not going back to Capital City, jobs not done." Kanan finished.

Luke bit his lip, Hera hadn't mentioned that they weren't being taken back home, "We're not?"

Hera shook her head, "we have a deadline to meet, then we'll get both of you back where you belong if that's still what you want"

Luke nodded, he really did, he missed his uncle, and he only hoped where they landed was close enough for him to reach Ben again.

~~~~~~

Ezra was fuming, how dare these people refuse to bring them home! He didn't care about their job, he wanted his blasters so he could sell them on the black market and have a little cash to live off of, then there was the fact that Luke was acting weird.

The blonde was usually so happy and talkative, he had barely said a word since they jumped onto this ship seeming almost fearful of the crew.

Then there were these people they treated Luke like some lost little kid, and him? They treated him like a common Loth-rat he hated it. Ezra wanted to go home, wanted his best friend back, and never wanted to see this ship again!

He sat in one of the bucket seats in the cockpit, Luke in the other, legs pulled to his chest, head bowed and eyes closed. Ezra wondered if he was sleeping.

"We're coming for a landing, you boys want to stretch your legs? We'll be here for a while"

Ezra glanced again at Luke who hadn't even stirred, but he saw a smile on the other boy's face that hadn't been there before. He always marveled at the way Luke could do that, just drop into total relaxation at the drop of a hat, he had seen the boy do it many times, at times it was almost like he was seeing nothing and everything at the same time. Ezra envied the ease with which Luke found peace, and sometimes wished he could be more like him. He knew he was brash and abrasive, but he couldn’t help it. Being the way he was, it was the only thing that allowed him to live on his own. It gave him the aura that kept people from messing with him. Be abrasive and they left you alone. It worked on everyone.

Everyone except Luke it seemed.

~~~~~~

The force surrounded him, he gathered his fear and uncertainty and released it to the force. It took longer this time than usual to find his center and drop into a meditative trance, the alien sounds of the ship invading his thoughts. In the end, he latched onto the familiar. He reached out in the force and found Ezra, the other boys presence, a soothing balm.

Luke breathed in, and out steadily, looking to lose himself in the force. Take his anger release it, his fear release it, his uncertainty release it. He took in a deep breath, and silently repeated the words Ben would tell him as the older man taught Luke to find his place in the force.

_Emotion, yet peace_

He took the emotions that had been at war in him and pushed them away, they belonged to the force.

_Ignorance, yet knowledge_

He released the questions that had been hounding him, force willing someday they would be answered, they also belonged to the force.

_Passion, yet serenity_

He pulled on the peace he found in the force, allowing it to swallow him whole, his passion now belonged to the force.

_Chaos, yet harmony_

Chaos surrounded him, burning through Zeb and Ezra, Chopper the droid was certainly a character of chaos, but he wouldn't allow it to touch him, his chaos belonged to the force.

_Death, yet the force_

Like many times he felt the caress of a woman's hand on his cheek, people didn't keep themselves in the force Ben said, but Luke knew he was wrong, in his meditation, he felt his mother, her hand on his skin, her voice in his ear. When he realized what it was, he sought also the touch of his father, but the force had stopped him, a black vortex before him, that threatened to swallow him. He turned from the vortex and released his mothers touch to the force. His life belonged to the force.

_Emotion, yet peace_   
_Ignorance, yet knowledge_   
_Passion, yet serenity_   
_Chaos, yet harmony_   
_Death, yet the force_

This time like many as he moved through the force, he found a dormant tether, one that neither held taught nor hung loosely, it was formed much like his and Ben's, yet somehow deeper, he tried to follow it once when he was younger, but had only been shown a vision of a young girl looking around in a panic. He tried to speak through the tether once, like he did with Ben, only to be cut off from the bond completely with the force of a psychic scream.

He once asked Ben, who told him it was a connection in the force that he was not yet meant to learn. Luke always wondered who the girl at the other end was, and why she never reached back, but after being cast out, he left it alone.

Finally he reached for the bond that was always there and pulled lightly, almost crying with joy, when he was answered almost instantly.

_Luke! Where are you, what happened, are you safe?_

_I'm safe Ben, I'm in a ship heading back to Lothal, Ezra had a bad plan, we ended up getting chased by Stormtroopers the only way out was to jump on a ship with some smugglers, but I think they're okay…_

_We will talk about all of that soon, but for now I need you to promise me something Luke, stay where you are. If you are safe with these people, stay with them. Someone has come to Lothal, and it is safer for you to stay away from Capital City._

_Ben, I don't understand, why wouldn't you want me to come home?_

_Luke. I promise, I will explain everything soon. For right now however, I need you to stay there. I will find you it is no longer safe here._

Luke froze, and could feel a stab of ice into his heart, making him lose part of his grasp on the force. It almost felt like somehow someone was probing the bond. No not probing the bond almost consuming it a cold force that reminded him of the swirling darkness that surrounded the spot in the force his father should have been. It was terrifying he had never felt anything like it. The cold threatening to swallow him whole. It blanketed the force around them, and Luke almost pulled away, being calmed only when Ben once more spoke through their bond.

_Calm down Luke, remember your training, the force will be with you, and no matter what or however far you stray I will be with you always_

_Ben I'm frightened_

_The force has a plan for us Luke, and something tells me it doesn't end here. Remember Luke. I love you as though you are my own son, and I will see you soon, this I promise._

Luke was pulled from his meditation then, a rough hand on his shoulder

"Wake up kid, time to move, grab a crate, pull your weight" Zeb instructed, before he stomped out of the room. Luke looked outside and saw Lothal's twin moons shining through the front window of the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, I hope to get the next one up by next saturday please leave comments, reviews ideas of where you think this will be going or just even your headcannons about Luke and Ezra


	6. Tarkin Town and Dead Religions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out of space and back on Lothal, Luke is trying to get Ezra to behave, and well Ezra... Ezra's going to be Ezra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe, so I know it's been a while life got crazy there with the holidays, but I'm back with more in the adventures of Luke and Ezra and accidentally joining rebellions after this story arch is through expect to see some more original adventures with only aspects of Rebels episodes and O/T content coming into play

Tarkin town, Luke and Ezra looked around in quiet horror all of these people ejected from their homes, and for what? 

The people watched them as they passed, a soft hopeful air around them. As they finally reached the center, Zeb declared free grub, and the town folk rushed forward, scrambling for the food. 

Zeb and the Mandalorian girl happily handed out fruit to the hungry people. Luke also took to handing out Jogans and other fruit to the gathered mass. Ezra however stood by, a look of sudden humbleness, and guilt. A man grasped Ezra’s shoulder then, the speckled eyes of the Rodian shined with gratitude. “Thank you” he said before wandering away. 

“but, I didn’t do anything” 

Luke saw the look on Ezra’s face, and walked over, handing the other boy a Jogan, “it’s not too late to change that. We can help these people” 

Ezra gave Luke a grateful smile taking the fruit, and handing it to a small child. Before long the last fruit was handed out from the crates, and the crew departed Tarkin Town. on the way back Ezra stuck close to Luke, who had been quiet since they landed back on Lothal. Ezra saw the way his eyes darted side to side, almost like he was waiting for some monster to jump out at him. 

To anyone else the boy would look happy and excited almost, but to Ezra, who knew him almost better than he knew himself could see that Luke was nervous. It was something Ezra learned, when Luke had a nervousness about him to be careful, he always did have an uncanny nack for sensing danger, hadn’t he only just experienced that today? Luke had warned him something bad was going to happen if they didn’t leave and since then the boys had three near death experiences. 

When they were following others back to the ship, Ezra purposefully fell back with Luke, until they were out of ear shot. 

“Are you okay?” 

Luke nodded, a short jerky movement that didn’t quite ring true. “Yeah, just thinking”

Thinking. Ezra had seen Luke in deep thought before, but this was a tension deep in his shoulders he had never seen before. The change in demeanor since this morning, even since they were on the ship in actual space was concerning. Something was telling him there was something wrong with his friend. 

“Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything.” he prodded at the blonde hoping that he would open up, Luke had never been one to hide his emotions before, so it was concerning that he was now. 

Luke bit his lip, and nodded again, blue eyes looking up at him, “I’ll be better once we get back home. I got a weird feeling is all” 

Ezra could sense that wasn’t all. He didn’t know why Luke was acting strange, but he determined it was something he would have to find out the hard way.

“We’ll be home before you know it, listening to stuffy old Ben lecturing us on being reckless, probably mentioning something about something your dad did when he was your age” 

That got a small smile from Luke, “yeah, back to Ben and his stories” Luke looked at Ezra with a searching gaze and opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but then shook his head and looked ahead. “We’re almost back to the ship”

Ezra frowned, he didn’t want to let this drop, but Luke made it clear he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Yeah, back to the ship, why don’t you head inside, I’ll be in a little later” 

Luke gave him a concerned glance, but nodded, “I’ll see if Sabine can help me find some food, we haven’t eaten since those jogans this morning” 

Ezra smiled, “Thanks Skywalker” He didn’t ask who Sabine was, figured that was the Mandalorian’s name, he tried not to be sour that the beautiful woman had introduced herself to Luke first. 

“Don’t mention it, seems like feeding you is what I do best” Luke gave him a genuine smile then, before he mounted the ramp and went inside. 

Ezra sat down on a pile of crate lids in the long grass, looking out over Tarkin Town. He would never admit it, but the sight of all those people had struck close to home for him. Sure he might be fourteen and on his own, but at least he knew where his next meal was coming from, if he didn’t manage to steal something, old Ben always had an extra spot at his table open for him, either that or the old man somehow knew when he was coming. 

As he watched dusk cast longer and longer shadows over the town below making it seem more desolate and forgotten than it already was. He had to admit he felt it too though. The unease that Luke was putting off, something was wrong, like a lingering shadow falling over the planet. If he was being honest with himself, there had been something growing since the empire closed its fist around Lothal, but this was worse like a smothering darkness.

As he was thinking of it, he felt or rather heard a soft humming in the air. He lifted his head, trying to find the source. It was odd, feeling almost like someone was calling his name. It was the same sort of hum that had set Luke on edge that morning. 

He rose from his spot, and looked behind him, the humming was coming from the ship. He followed it, before long he came to a locked door. He smirked, pulling out his pick and setting to work he opened it up and slipped inside. Inside was a sparsely furnished room, only your basic bunk and fresher table off to the side, and belongings chest off to the other corner, the humming however was coming from the location of the bunk. 

Ezra walked over to the bunk and sat down. It was a comfortable bed at least, better than the cot he had in his tower. 

His attention was once again grabbed by the humming in the air around him. It was drawing him to the drawer underneath him. “Weird” he whispered, his fingers finding the latch to a hidden drawer. Ezra knelt before it, and opened the drawer revealing a metal cube that seemed to have glass windows built into it, the object seemed to hum in his palm, this was what called him. He shook his head, he was imagining things clearly. “Might be worth” he turned it over, inspecting it “something?” he put it in his pocket. Then he noticed the drawer went deeper than it first appeared and pulled it out further revealing something far cooler. 

It was a cylindrical shape, appearing to be a hilt of some sort, a belt ring at the top to attach to a utility belt. It resembled what old Ben had described to him and Luke one night from his time serving in the republic army. It looked like a lightsaber. It couldn’t be though could it? The Jedi were extinct, had been since the Clone Wars. Ezra found a button on the side and pressed it. A blue beam of light erupted from it, and the force of it knocked Ezra back a little. He hadn’t expected that. It was heavy, a low hum coming from it. He could feel the heat on his face. He was in awe. He got to his feet and waved it a few times experimentally, and despite himself released a gasp of surprise at the way it gracefully sliced through the air. He brought it up into what he thought was a dueling position, and that was when the door behind him slid open. 

“Careful. You’ll cut your arm off” came a much less angry than Ezra would have expected Kanan from behind him. 

Ezra gulped and turned around, his voice hadn’t given it away but there was a cool glint to his eyes he seemed more irritated than anything, and if Ezra didn’t know any better, amused? 

He might have misread Kanan but the smug grunting of the droid was certainly telling as Chopper rolled in behind the human man. 

“Look, I know you’re not going to believe me, but it’s like this thing wanted me to take it” he started. 

Kanan had his arm crossed, and now he knew the older man was finding amusement from the situation, “you’re right, I don’t believe you. Now hand over the lightsaber” 

Ezra looked at Kanan, eyes widening. He glanced at Hera who was standing beside Kanan in the door, then back to Kanan, he was right, it was a lightsaber, but the Jedi were dead. How did this guy have a weapon from a dead religion? 

“It is a lightsaber… isn’t that the weapon of the Jedi? I thought they all died” 

“Give it to me, and get out” all sign of amusement was gone from Kanan, and his voice had a hard edge that told Ezra not to challenge him on it. 

He extinguished the lightsaber and handed it over, ignoring the pang he got in his chest at the sudden change in Kanan’s demeanor. He stepped past, trying not to notice the stern look that Hera gave him as he passed. 

He walked down the hall, following the sound of conversation from what he imagined was the galley, since he heard Luke’s voice. 

“You mean, you actually know how to cook, like real food?” The Mandalorian girl was asking. 

“Yeah, my uncle taught me, said it was important not to just live off of ration bars and jogan fruit” 

The pair stopped as Ezra entered, and Luke gave him a pointed look, one that told him he knew he had gotten into trouble again. “Five seconds Ez” he simply said, handing over a sandwich to the taller boy “try and stay out of trouble for five seconds” 

Ezra rubbed at the base of his neck and took the sandwich, but didn’t respond to Luke’s request.

“Not too good at following directions, are you?” She asked leaning back on the counter, a cup of some drink or other clutched in her hand. Her helmet was off, which didn’t seem to happen often.

Ezra gave a smile, “Not so much. You?” He ignored Lukes scoff, stepping on the blonde boy’s toes in revenge. 

Luke yelped, earning a look from the girl, who chuckled, “Not really, no. Gotta say, you two? Night and day” she gestured between them.

Ezra crossed his arms “Alright, you got us figured out our turn, who are you people, you’re not exactly thieves” 

“And I really don’t think you’re smugglers,” Luke added. 

She smirked, “We… we’re not exactly anything. We’re a crew. A team. In some ways a family” she told him.

A sudden doubt flared in his mind, a family, could he really say he had one? Luke could, he had his uncle, but Ezra was alone “What happened to your real family?” He saw Luke’s eyes widen but ignored him 

The Mandalorian girl frowned then before answering, “The Empire. What happened to yours?” her voice was soft, and he felt sympathy pass from her.

Before Ezra could respond, the door opened and Zeb came in and told her that Kanan wanted them. Then of course he threatened Ezra and Luke. 

As she was leaving, she turned around, her eyes kind as she spoke again, “It’s Sabine. My name’s Sabine” then she left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any thoughts? Reviews? Outrageous headcannons that you'd like to share? They feed the hungry whovian


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